THE GLASS FACTORY.           
                                        
                                        
                                      
                                  
                                  
                                          
 SEVERAL  CENTURIES  AFTER  IT  HAD  LAST 
 BELONGED TO US, WE WENT  ON AN OUTING TO 
 THE  GLASS FACTORY THAT BORE OUR  FAMILY 
 NAME. IT HAD CHANGED  OWNERS MANY  TIMES 
 SINCE  OUR  ANCESTORS  DEATH,  AND  THEN 
 STOOD  ABANDONED   FOR  A   LONG  WHILE. 
 FINALLY,  THE  NATURAL  END STATION  FOR 
 THE BUILDINGS  THAT  SURVIVE:  A MUSEUM, 
 AND A GIFT SHOP.                         
                                          
 THERE'S  A  LONG  TIME  SINCE  MY FAMILY 
 MADE ANYTHING.  BY  MANY,  WE  WOULD  BE 
 CONSIDERED POOR.                         
                                          
 THERE  ARE  TWO  MAIN FACTORY BUILDINGS, 
 DOMED THINGS OF SEVERAL  FLOORS, MADE IN 
 YELLOW BRICK. LARGE BUT  NARROW WINDOWS, 
 REMINESCENT    OF    SOME     CATHEDRAL. 
 CUSTOM-MADE GLASS,  OF COURSE, LARGE AND 
 LEADED, AND ASHEN.  A BIT TOO DARK TO BE 
 PRACTICAL.   ON  THE  EASTERN  BUILDING, 
 SOME ARE SHATTERED.                      
                                          
 THE OTHER ONE IS  PUBLICLY OPEN. THERE'S 
 A MUSEUM, WITH WAX  FIGURES OF MY  GREAT 
 GREAT GREAT  GRANDFATHER, OR  SOMETHING. 
 VARIOUS TOOLS (OR REPLICAS) LAID OUT  ON 
 TABLES, WITH EXPLAINING TEXTS.  A LOT OF 
 GLASS     OF      VARYING     THICKNESS. 
                                          
                                        
                                      
                          
                                      
                                        
                                          
 I QUICKLY SNEAK OUT,  AND CLIMB INTO THE 
 OTHER    BUILDING.   THE   CONTRAST   IS 
 OVERWHELMING.   IT   MUST   HAVE   STOOD 
 DERELICT   FOR   A  LONG  TIME,  WINDOWS 
 BROKEN,  METALLIC  TRASH  AND  POOLS  OF 
 DARK  GLASS  ALL   OVER  THE  FLOOR.  NO 
 ELECTRIC  LIGHTS, BUT I  CAN  SEE BY THE 
 LIGHT THAT  SHINES IN WHEREVER THE  DARK 
 WINDOWS     ARE    MISSING    A    PANE. 
                                          
 HOWEVER, THE GREATEST  DIFFERENCE IS THE 
 HIGHER FLOORS: THIS  BUILDING HAS  NONE. 
 IT IS ONE  MASSIVE HALL, STRETCHING AWAY 
 INFINITELY  ABOVE ME. SOMEWHERE UP THERE 
 IS  SOME  GREAT IRON  LATTICEWORK,  FROM 
 WHERE CHAINS  ARE  SUSPENDED,  AND PARTS 
 OF  MACHINERY  HAS  BEEN  FALLING  DOWN. 
                                          
 THERE  IS,  IN  THE MIDDLE  OF THE GREAT 
 HALL,   A  THIN  SPIRAL  STAIRCASE  THAT 
 LEADS UP THERE. I SNEAK OVER THERE,  AND 
 TAKE A FEW RELUCTANT STEPS.  AFTER  JUST 
 A  REVOLUTION,  I  NOTICE THAT FOR  EACH 
 STEP  THE BUILDING STARTS TO  GLOW,  THE 
 BRICKS  TURNING  A  DARK  RED, AND  THEN 
 ORANGE,  ALL  THE PILED UP  DEBREE BEING 
 LIT FROM BEHIND.                         
                                          
 I STOP  READY TO RUN DOWN  AND  OUT, BUT 
 THERE'S SOMEONE ELSE  ON  THE  STAIRCASE 
 WITH   ME  NOW,   PRESSED  CLOSE.   HE'S 
 LOOKING LIKE ME,  SHORT  HAIR  AND  THIN 
 ARMS, BUT WITH  EARS  FROM  SOME ANIMAL, 
 AND MORE  DISTURBINGLY, COMPLETELY  MADE 
 OF DARK LIQUID GLASS.                    
                                          
                                        
                                      
                          
                                      
                                        
                                          
 MY  FEAR  HOLDS  ME  IN PLACE  WHILE  HE 
 STARTS OPERATING  LEVERS  AND DIALS  SET 
 IN  THE CENTER OF THE STAIRCASE. SLOWLY, 
 IT  STARTS SPINNING,  CIRCLING  UPWARDS. 
 IT'S  AN  ELEVATOR!   I   START  TO  RUN 
 DOWNWARDS,   BUT  NOW   THE  LIQUID  BOY 
 CREATURE GRABS  HOLD  OF  ME. I  TRY  TO 
 SHAKE HIM OFF, BUT HE'S TOO  STRONG, AND 
 PULLS    ME   BACK   UP   BESIDE    HIM. 
                                          
 THIS TIME,  I  TURN ANGRY INSTEAD.  WHAT 
 THE  HELL? WHO IS THIS GUY,  ACTING LIKE 
 THIS?  I REACH OUT  MY FREE ARM AND SLAM 
 A  RANDOM  LEVER.  SOME   METAL  BAR  IS 
 SUDDENLY  RELEASED  BETWEEN  US, HITTING 
 HIM  ON  THE ARM,  FORCING MY RELEASE. I 
 SHOVE  HIM OFF OF ME, AND  HE FALLS INTO 
 THE    LEVERS,    MESSING    THEM    UP. 
 IMMEDIATELY,   A  THIN  RUSTY  CHAINMAIL 
 CURTAIN  IS  DROPPED AROUND  ME. BUT THE 
 ELEVATOR  ALSO SPEEDS UP  SIGNIFICANTLY. 
                                          
 THE  WALLS   ARE  FLARING  NOW,  YELLOW, 
 WHITE, ALMOST BLUE.  I CLOSE MY EYES AND 
 CURL INTO A BALL.  BUT  THEN,  THE GLASS 
 BOY  SCREAMS,  A  PIERCING   SOUND  THAT 
 FORCES MY EYES  BACK OPEN. I WATCH AS HE 
 BECOMES  TOO  LIQUID, HIS  BODY  POOLING 
 DOWN  IN HIS  NOW  MASSIVE TAIL, AND THE 
 TIP OF IT SUDDENLY BREAKS  OF IN A GLASS 
 DROP  THAT   FALLS  TOWARD  THE  FACTORY 
 FLOOR.                                   
                                          
 HE'S CRAWLING ON  THE  STAIRS, UNABLE TO 
 KEEP HIS BODY  UPRIGHT. CAN'T  REACH THE 
 LEVERS,  CLAWS  AT  MY  CHAINMAIL  CAGE, 
 WHILE  HIS  BODY  IS  TURNING INTO  DARK 
 PEARLS.  FINALLY,  HE'S LOST TOO MUCH OF 
 HIMSELF  AND  THE SCREAM IS  CUT  SHORT. 
 THE    LAST    OF   HIM   RAINS    DOWN. 
                                          
 I  STILL  CAN'T  REACH  THE LEVERS  FROM 
 WITHIN  MY  CAGE.  LOOKING UP, I TRY  TO 
 MAKE OUT  THE CEILING, BUT  IT'S  ALL  A 
 WHIRLING SEA OF  COLOURS. BELOW ME GLOWS 
 THE HELLFIRE OF  THE FACTORY WALLS,  BUT 
 VERY FAINT.  I SIT  DOWN,  CURL BACK UP, 
 BECOME STILL.                            
                                          
                                        
                                      
                          
                                      
                                        
                                          
 A  LARGE  CLUNK SHAKES MY  ENTIRE  BODY, 
 AND  SNAPS  ME  BACK INTO  REALITY.  I'M 
 BACK  AT  THE  FACTORY  FLOOR,  BUT  THE 
 STAIRS  ARE   STILL   MOVING   SLIGHTLY, 
 CLICKING IN PLACE, CARRYING ME  THE LAST 
 FEW  CENTIMETERS.  I  CAME  FROM  BELOW, 
 SOMEHOW.  THE  CHAINMAIL  IS  RETRACTED, 
 AND  I   SLOWLY   DISMOUNT  THE  STAIRS. 
                                          
 SHAKING AND  CRYING, I  MAKE MY WAY OVER 
 THE  FACTORY FLOOR,  WADING THROUGH DARK 
 GLASS MARBLES. A QUICK GLANCE  DOWN, AND 
 I  SEE  THERE'S SOMETHING  FAINT  INSIDE 
 THEM.    EMBRYOS?    ARE   THESE   EGGS? 
                                          
 I   SHUDDER,   AND   CLIMB   BACK   OUT.